FR3052468A1 - REPLIABLE AND DEPLIABLE STRUCTURE FOR QUICK ERECTION OF SHELTERS. - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a foldable and foldable structure (1, 1 ') for the rapid erection of buildings, said structure comprising at least two gantries (2, 2', 3) constituting two first facades of parallel appearance of the shelter , the two other facades each comprising means of vertical articulation relative to the amounts (4, 4 ', 7, 7') of the porticoes they connect and secondly to an axis (A) placed centrally between the frames (2, 2 ', 3). The gantries (2, 2 ', 3) are independent and the uprights (7, 7') of a gantry (3) each comprise a slidable inner section (16, 16 ') for increasing its height in order to give an inclination to the roof, said inner profiles (16, 16 ') being connected by an upper spar (25) and forming an upper secondary gantry (15) slidable in the gantry (3). Sliding control means are provided in at least one of the uprights (7, 7 ').

Description

The present invention is applicable in the field of rapid deployment modular buildings including a structure coated with a flexible waterproof material and / or rigid material elements, the uses of which are currently constantly increasing, particularly because of the recourse more and more frequently, on a global scale, to provisional sites made up of this type of buildings.

The current phenomenon of migrants, for example, necessitates the deployment of temporary camps created on the edge of the territories that they seek to join. Areas of conflict around the globe may also lead to the establishment of accommodation sites as a result of displacement. The management of people who find themselves homeless can also result from natural disasters (earthquakes, eruptions ..), imposing sometimes massive displacements of populations.

In all these circumstances, as well as in theaters of humanitarian or military operations, in addition to accommodation, a need for temporary functional equipment is emerging. The shelters or corresponding structures (field hospitals, military installations, etc.) are in principle not intended to last, and respond to urgent but punctual situations. In addition to the exenqples above, they may be linked buildings or not, hosting refectories, kitchens, sanitary spaces etc.

In all cases, rapid assembly / disassembly is required, which is precisely the prerogative of the invention, which is assigned to the erection in the shortest possible duration of functional shelters, that is to say say in particular adaptable to any constraints that may be encountered in the installation sites, for example particular climatic conditions.

The folding and unfoldable structure for the rapid erection of buildings of the invention comprises for this purpose and conventionally at least two gantries constituting two first facades of parallel appearance of the shelter, the two other facades each comprising means of vertical articulation with respect, on the one hand, to the uprights of the porticoes which they connect and, on the other hand, to an axis placed centrally between the porticoes. It will be understood that said joints are used to fold the structure on itself including its transport or storage, and unfold in minutes on the site. It is then coated with rigid materials and / or flexible materials attached to at least one frame of the structure belonging to each of the front, rear and side facades, the floor and the roof of the deployed shelter.

Such a structure is shown, for example, in patent document FR 2 850 408, in a configuration designed in particular to house horses during the duration of horse shows.

According to the invention, the gantries are independent and the uprights of a gantry each comprise a slidable inner profile for increasing their height in order to give an inclination to the roof, said inner profiles being connected by an upper spar and forming a gantry upper secondary slidable in the gantry, sliding control means being provided in at least one of the amounts.

In addition to the enlargement of the useful volume of the shelter, which goes hand in hand with an optimization of the interior space, the configuration of the invention proves particularly suitable for cold and rainy climates, since the possibility of deploying a steep roof makes it possible to ensure in good conditions the evacuation of precipitation water. This characteristic has a technical consequence on the tightness of the structure, therefore on its immediate functional efficiency, better guaranteed than with flat roof structures. The roof, which is over the entire length of the structure, is also resistant to snow, and its sloping character allows to slide it, which allows another substantial technical advantage of the invention not to take it into account. in the calculations.

A steep roof of predetermined slope immutable, that is to say non-adjustable in contrast to the invention, is shown for example in document US 2014/0311053 which discloses a collapsible shelter which does not however include the structural characteristics of the invention: no porticoes, and in particular no telescopic central gantry. In the invention, the roof can be set flat, or raised. This flexibility is an additional benefit of the system.

Preferably, the shelter of the invention comprises three gantries of parallel appearance, a central gantry with a sliding secondary gantry and two gantries delimiting parallel facades of the shelter in the deployed position. This symmetrical structure provides a maximum usable area for a very short deployment time.

More preferably, each gantry may comprise a spar connecting the lower ends of the uprights, transforming it into a sort of a frame that increases the rigidity of the assembly and may facilitate the deployment / folding maneuvers. These rails also support the floor in rigid panels insulating the occupants of the ground. They allow the surplus to avoid any recourse to additional wedging by below the floor elements.

More precisely, according to the number of gantries, at least one floor can be articulated with respect, on the one hand, to the lower spar of one of two gantries that said floor connects and, on the other hand, to a horizontal axis placed centrally between the gantries when the floor is deployed.

According to a possible configuration, the inner profile of the gantry column provided with control means comprises a rack adapted to cooperate with a toothed wheel. In order for the implementation of the control by the user to be carried out easily, the shaft of the toothed wheel can be accessible from the outside of said upright, directly or via the exit of a deflection device. . The latter is the solution chosen preferably in the context of the invention. Furthermore, the control of the gear wheel is accessible from outside or inside the building.

More specifically, an end of said shaft or the output of the return device can be configured hollow, the shape of the recess then being provided to house the end of a manual or automated rotary tool. It may for example be a manual crank, or a rotary tool type heavy drill, with in both cases a fitting fitting in the recess.

According to one possibility, one of the walls of the profile sliding in the upright can be provided with aligned orifices constituting the notches of the rack. Other conventional variants of racks are of course possible, the chosen option is not limiting of the invention. Alternatively, the control can of course be motorized.

It was mentioned the possible use of flexible and rigid coverings to equip the foldable and collapsible structure: according to one preferential possibility, the facades and therefore the floor are equipped with solid panels, whereas the roof can be made of a material flexible, for example a canvas tarpaulin. The material in question can be placed even before the secondary gantry is deployed, its flexible texture allowing it to adapt to the deployment. According to one possibility, the canvas fabric is advantageously waterproof.

Facade claddings, especially exterior but also interior, for example to divide the shelter into two spaces, include at least one skin, ideally up to three skins, which gives them insulation properties much higher than those of a flexible material of the canvas type. The fact of having several layers or skins makes it possible to establish blades of air between them, which increase and very substantially improve the thermal insulation of the building. In the present case, skin is understood to mean a flexible or rigid material which is fixed on the structure and which offers, on the one hand, a protection in the form of a coating and, on the other hand, a seal, so that the goods and the people inside the building are protected, for example, from bad weather.

More preferably, the structure of the invention is made of aluminum beams. The facades on the side of the gantries can, in the structure of the invention, be completely open, that is to say without reinforcements in the form of poles, said gantries conferring sufficient stability to the structure. The great lightness afforded by this material also provides a considerable advantage during the deployment / refolding of the shelter, of all the manual operations by a single individual becoming sufficient in this respect, whereas in document FR 2 850 408 of which he has been mentioned earlier, this is not the case. A lifter connected by several cables to the structure was indeed used and almost necessary to perform these operations. According to an additional characteristic, the beams comprise at least one longitudinal groove, often several, which allow a simple and tight fixing of certain coatings, for example flexible coatings.

To make the structure of the invention easily transportable, it is also advantageously provided that the length of gantries assembled in the folded position is less than the standard length of the containers including 20 feet maritime. Other lengths are of course possible, depending on the type of package. It is then possible to place a few structures in the folded state in a single container, whose standardized width is much greater than that of said folded structure. The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the appended figures, in which: FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a structure according to the invention in an unfolded position with the expanded crown secondary gantry; Figure 2 shows, in perspective view, said structure being unfolded (or folding), the secondary cranial portico being folded; Figure 3 shows the completely folded structure; Figure 4 shows a shelter partially covered with panels / roofing fabric; Figure 5 shows in perspective view part of an amount equipped with a rack of deployment of the secondary gantry crest; Figure 6 shows a portion of the rack extracted from the upright; and Figures 7 and 8 schematically show the operation of the floor of the invention, foldable / folding at the same time as the rest of the structure

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the structure 1 of the building of the invention comprises two gantries / frames 2, 2 'located on either side of a gantry / central frame 3. Said gantries 2, 2' each comprise uprights 4, 4 'and an upper beam 5, and a lower spar 6 which transforms them into a rectangular looking frame. The central gantry similarly comprises uprights 7, 7 'and an upper beam 8, a lower spar 9 stiffening it into a frame of substantially the same shape and surface as the frames of the gantries 2, 2'.

The half lateral facades 10, 10 ', 11, 11', symmetrical with respect to the central gantry 3, are foldable relative to said gantry 3, to one of the gantries 2, 2 'and finally to a hinge axis Ά which is central. These half-facades 10, 10 'are in practice each consisting of two frames 12, 13 (referenced on one side but existing on both sides in a completely symmetrical manner) pivotable relative to one another according to the invention. vertical axis A articulable with respect to the gantry 2 along a vertical axis B and with respect to the gantry 2 'along an axis C.

A secondary gantry 15, visible because deployed in Figure 1, is slidable relative to the central gantry 3. It is folded, so not visible in Figure 2. It comprises side uprights 16, 16 ', at least one is actually a profile (see Figures 5 and 6) configured to slide and be driven via a conventional rack system, and an upper spar 25.

Figure 3 shows the structure 1 of the two previous figures completely folded, substantially flattened. It is in this configuration that it is transported for example by means of standard containers. Its unfolding and folding, of which an intermediate phase appears in FIG. 2, are easy because the structure is light, because of the use of aluminum, or alternatively of a composite material, and can easily be handled by a single individual. .

FIG. 4 shows a structure such as in FIGS. 1 to 3 partially coated with rigid panels or more generally with a rigid material and / or flexible fabric. In this case, the facade 2 is covered with rigid panels that leave room for openings for two windows and the door. The roof is covered with a flexible fabric that can adapt to the particular shape resulting from the elevation of the secondary gantry 15 whose upper spar 25 serves as a ridge for the building. Alternatively, the fabric can adapt to a flat roof configuration, when the secondary gantry 15 is not deployed. The front 2 'corresponding to the gantry is also covered with panels. The side façades 10, 10 'are shown uncoated with any panel, especially to facilitate the description, to better show the implantation of those who coat the other walls.

Figures 5 and 6 show a non-limiting rack solution, according to which the profile 16 sliding in the upright 7 of the central gantry 3 comprises notches in the form of openings of a rack 17 regularly made in one of its walls. It will be noted that the transverse dimensions of said profile 16 allow it to move inside the upright 7, the remaining space being used for the control system of its displacement (see Figure 7). The longitudinal cylindrical rails or grooves 18 of the corner of the upright 7 serve to fix the panels, for example, clothed. A bevel gear 19 is provided to cooperate with the profile 16 and control its movement.

Thus, as is apparent in FIG. 6, the square openings constituting a rack 17 of the profile 16 cooperate with a toothed wheel 20 whose peripheral teeth are shaped to fit with said openings of the rack 17. A lug 21 is furthermore provided. to assist in guiding the profile 16 in translation relative to the angle gear 19 fixed inside the post 7. When the wheel 20 is driven in a rotational movement, the meshing of the periphery of the wheel in the openings of the rack 17 causes the displacement of said profile 16 in a direction parallel to the axis of the upright 7. The recess 22 of prismatic shape of the angle gear 19 is also accessible from the outside of the upright 7, and allows to control the rotation of the wheel 20, in turn driving the profile 16 and the secondary gantry 15 as indicated above.

Figures 7 and 8 show the floor 30 in a partially unfolded / folded position (Figure 7) and in its fully folded position (Figure 8). The figures are intended to better illustrate the operation of this floor 30, and this is the reason why they do not show it in the rest of the structure 1 of the invention, but in a structure 1 'which schematically without excessive weighting that may obscure certain elements and alter the understanding of how the floor is deployed / folded. This floor 30 comprises a central articulation 31, actually co-operating with the lower spar 9 of the central gantry 3, and articulations 34, 35 placed centrally on the half-floors 32, 33 of the 3-frame structure as illustrated in the figures. . Said half-floors 32, 33 are folded against a gantry before folding the rest of the structure 1, 1 'of the invention, and unfolded after deployment thereof, coming to rest on the lower rails 6 of the gantries 2 , 2 '. All joints are horizontal.

The rapid deployment and refolding of the structure, including its floor and roof, is the result of the overall design explained previously. This original design adapts in any event to any application requiring the deployment of a temporary structure, not only in the field of urgency mentioned before, but also for example in the world of entertainment (marquees ..). The invention is not limited, of course, to the examples described and explained with reference to the figures, but it encompasses variants and versions, in particular of shape and material, such as for notches of the rack or for the drive wheel, which enter within the scope of the claims.

Claims (12)

1. Foldable and unfoldable structure (1, 1 ') for the rapid erection of buildings, said structure comprising at least two gantries (2, 2', 3) constituting two first facades of parallel appearance of the shelter, both other facades each comprising means of vertical articulation relative to the amounts (4, 4 ', 7, 7') of the porticoes they connect and secondly to an axis (A) centrally placed between the gantries (2, 2 ', 3), said structure (1, 1') being coated with rigid materials and / or flexible materials attached to at least one frame of the structure (1, 1 ') belonging to each of the different facades front, rear and lateral, on the ground and on the roof of the deployed shelter, characterized in that the gantries (2, 2 ', 3) are independent and the uprights (7, 7') of a gantry (3) each comprise a slidable inner profile (16, 16 ') for increasing its height to give an inclination to the roof, said profiles int Erieurs (16, 16 ') being connected by an upper spar (25) and forming an upper secondary gantry (15) slidable in the gantry (3), sliding control means being provided in at least one of the uprights (7, 7 '). 2. Foldable and foldable structure (1, 1 ') for the rapid erection of buildings according to the preceding claim, characterized in that it comprises three gantries (2, 2', 3) of parallel appearance, a central gantry ( 3) with a sliding secondary gantry (15) and two gantries (2, 2 ') delimiting parallel facades of the building in the deployed position. Foldable and foldable structure (1, 1 ') for the rapid erection of buildings according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that each gantry (2, 2', 3) comprises a spar (6, 9) connecting the lower ends of the uprights (4, 4 ', 7, 7'). Foldable and foldable structure (1, 1 ') for rapid erection of buildings according to the preceding claim, characterized in that it comprises at least one floor (30) hinged relative to the lower spar (6). 9) of one of two gantries (2, 2 ', 3) that said floor (30) connects and secondly to a horizontal axis placed centrally between the gantries (2, 2', 3) when the floor ( 30) is deployed. Foldable and foldable structure (1, 1 ') for rapid erection of buildings according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the inner profile (16, 16') of the upright (7, 7 ') provided with control means comprises a rack (17) adapted to cooperate with a toothed wheel (20). Foldable and foldable structure (1, 1 ') for the rapid erection of buildings according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the shaft of the toothed wheel (20) is accessible from the outside of said upright (7, 7 '), directly or via the output of a deflection device (19) - 7. Foldable and foldable structure (1, 1 ') for the rapid erection of buildings according to the preceding claim, characterized in that one end of said shaft or the exit of the deflection device (19) is hollow, the shape of the recess (22) being provided for housing the end of a manual or automated rotary tool. 8. foldable and foldable structure (1, 1 ') for the rapid erection of buildings according to one of claims 5 and 6, characterized in that one of the walls of the profile (16, 16') is provided with aligned orifices constituting the notches of the rack (17). 9. Foldable and foldable structure (1, 1 ') for the rapid erection of buildings according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the facades and the floor are equipped with solid panels, and the roof of a canvas tarpaulin . Foldable and foldable structure (1, 1 ') for the rapid erection of buildings according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the facade panels are rigid and comprise at least one skin. Foldable and foldable structure (1, 1 ') for rapid erection of buildings according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the structure (1, 1') is made of aluminum beams. Collapsible and foldable structure (1, 1 ') for the rapid erection of buildings according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the structure (1, 1') is produced by means of beams with at least one groove. longitudinal (18) fastening of the coatings.